The 1919 Centre Praying Colonels football team represented Centre College in the 1919 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The Praying Colonels scored 485 points, leading the nation, while allowing 23 points and finishing their season with a perfect record of 9–0.1919 Centre football scores John Y. Brown, The Legend of the Praying Colonels, J. Marvin Gray & Associates, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky The team was retroactively selected by Jeff Sagarin as national champion for the 1919 season.
Quarterback Bo McMillin and center James "Red" Weaver were named to Walter Camp's first-team 1919 College Football All-America Team. Just the year before, Georgia's Bum Day had been the first player from the South ever selected to Camp's first team– and Centre thus became the first Southern school with two. Fullback and end James "Red" Roberts was named to Camp's third team.
The highlight of the season was the win over West Virginia. McMillin had the team pray before it, forever giving the Centre College Colonels its alternate moniker of "Praying Colonels."
Schedule
A game with was scheduled for October 11 but never played due to Maryville injuries.
Before the season Five Centre regulars were natives of Fort Worth, Texas, namely captain and quarterback Bo McMillin, and linemen Bill James, Sully Montgomery, Matty Bell, and Red Weaver. They were accused of being professionals, but the charges were rebuked by season's end. According to one author, "Without Bo it would not be a Centre team." Centre's linemen were known as the "Seven Mustangs".
Former Centre player and North Side High School head coach Robert L. Myers was to bring McMillin, Weaver, and the above teammates to Centre. However, McMillin and Weaver did not have sufficient credits to enter college, and thus entered Somerset High School for the 1916-17 year, playing with Red Roberts.
Game summaries Week 1: Hanover
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On opening day, Centre swamped , 95–0. Eight different players scored. Roberts was shifted from fullback to tackle, and played well.
The starting lineup was King (left end), Roberts (left tackle), Montgomery (left guard), Bell (center), Van Antwerp (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), Whitnell (right end), McMillin (quarterback), Murphy (left halfback), Davis (right halfback), Diddle (fullback).
Week 2: at Indiana
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Centre beat Indiana, 12–3. Indiana was up 3–0 with 2:20 left in the game, when Centre started its comeback victory. McMillin and Roberts worked it towards the goal, Roberts going over. Indiana was then desperate to even the score, and McMillin intercepted a pass, and returned it for a touchdown, dodging and straight arming the entire Indiana eleven. Indiana's three points came early in the first period, when its quarterback, Mathys, made a 35-yard drop kick.
The starting lineup was Whitnell (left end), Montgomery (left tackle), Van Antwerp (left guard), Garrett (center), Coleman (right guard), James (right tackle), McCullom (right end), McMillin (quarterback), Bittle (left halfback), Davis (right halfback), Roberts (fullback).
Week 3: St. Xavier
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The Colonels beat St. Xavier, 57–0. The field was in poor condition due to heavy rains from the past week. Xavier never crossed Centre's 30-yard line. McMillin twice connected with Armstrong for 80-yard forward passes. McMillin also had four runs of greater than 50 yards. Roberts's punts averaged 60 yards in the second half.
The starting lineup was Bell (left end), Montgomery (left tackle), Van Antwerp (left guard), Weaver (center), Ford (right guard), James (right tackle), King (right end), McMillin (quarterback), Armstrong (left halfback), Davis (right halfback), Roberts (fullback).
Week 4: at Transylvania
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In the fourth week of play, the Colonels beat , 69–0. Transylvania's Milton broken several bones in his foot the week previous. Davis and McMillin each scored three touchdowns.
The starting lineup was King (left end), Montgomery (left tackle), Van Antwerp (left guard), Weaver (center), Cregor (right guard), James (right tackle), Bell (right end), McMillin (quarterback), Armstrong (left halfback), Davis (right halfback), Roberts (fullback).
Week 5: at Virginia
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Centre's backfield starred and smashed the Virginia Orange and Blue, 49–7 in the mud. Joe Murphy had a 75-yard touchdown run. Soon after, McMillin went 70 yards for a touchdown. Kuyk scored Virginia's points.
The starting lineup was Bell (left end), Montgomery (left tackle), Van Antwerp (left guard), Weaver (center), Cregor (right guard), James (right tackle), Snoddy (right end), McMillin (quarterback), Armstrong (left halfback), Davis (right halfback), Roberts (fullback).
Week 6: at West Virginia
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The sixth week of play brought the highlight of the season — a 14–6 comeback win over West Virginia, a team which beaten Eastern power Princeton the week before, and had the nation's leading scorer Ira Rodgers. McMillin had the team pray before the game, forever giving the Centre College Colonels its alternate moniker of "Praying Colonels."
Rodgers came out passing and West Virginia scores first early when he bucked it over. Later, a 25-yard pass from McMillin to Terry Snoddy brought the ball near the goal. Roberts eventually scored. Centre had another touchdown drive in the last quarter, ending in McMillin sidestepping for a touchdown. Murphy was in a flimsy track suit and track shoes.
The starting lineup was Bell (left end), Montgomery (left tackle), Van Antwerp (left guard), Weaver (center), Cregor (right guard), Jones (right tackle), Snoddy (right end), McMillin (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Armstrong (right halfback), Roberts (fullback).
Week 7: Kentucky
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With a large crowd at home on Cheek Field, the Colonels beat rival Kentucky, 56–0, giving the Wildcats their worst loss on the season. Roberts had three touchdowns.
The starting lineup was Bell (left end), Montgomery (left tackle), Van Antwerp (left guard), Weaver (center), Cregor (right guard), James (right tackle), Snoddy (right end), McMillin (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Armstrong (right halfback), Roberts (fullback).
Week 8: vs. DePauw
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The Colonels defeated the in Louisville 56–0. McMillin's passes "aroused the wonderment of the crowd." The first touchdown came on an 18-yard pass to Army Armstrong.
The starting lineup was Bell (left end), Montgomery (left tackle), Van Antwerp (left guard), Weaver (center), Cregor (right guard), James (right tackle), Snoddy (right end), McMillin (quarterback), Armstrong (left halfback), Davis (right halfback), Roberts (fullback).
Week 9: at Georgetown
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Centre rolled up a 77–7 score on the . Georgetown's one score came off a 65-yard fumble return. Weaver made 11 straight extra points.
The starting lineup was Bell (left end), Montgomery (left tackle), Van Antwerp (left guard), Weaver (center), Cregor (right guard), James (right tackle), Snoddy (right end), McMillin (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Armstrong (right halfback), Roberts (fullback).
After the season Legacy
Red Weaver reportedly scored 46 extra point field goals in a row, though it was in fact 43, and held the NCAA record with a reported 99 consecutive points after touchdowns in the 1919 and 1920 seasons. Weaver was put at the placekicker position on an Associated Press Southeast Area All-Time football team 1869-1919 era.
The season brought national attention to the small town of Danville.
Awards and honors Due to the dispute over professionalism, most writers picked Auburn as SIAA champion. The team was retroactively selected by Jeff Sagarin as the national champion for the 1919 season.
McMillin and Weaver were named to Walter Camp's first-team 1919 College Football All-America Team. Just the year before Bum Day was the first Southern player ever selected to Camp's first team – and Centre became the first school with two. Fullback and end Red Roberts was named to Camp's third team.
Players
Depth chart The following chart provides a visual depiction of Centre's lineup during the 1919 season with games started at the position reflected in parentheses. The chart mimics a single wing on offense. LE Matty Bell (6) Gus King (2) Edwin Whitnell (1) LG H. Van Antwerp (8) S. Montgomery (1)
C Red Weaver (7)Matty Bell (1)William Garrett (1) RG Ben Cregor (6) Coleman (1)Clayton Ford (1)H. Van Antwerp (1) LT S. Montgomery (8) Red Roberts (1) RT Bill James (8) Coleman (1) RE Terry Snoddy (5)Matty Bell (1)Gus King (1) McCullom (1) Edwin Whitnell (1) QB Bo McMillin (9) RHB Allen Davis (6) N. Armstrong (3)
FB Red Roberts (8) Edgar Diddle (1) LHB N. Armstrong (4) Allen Davis (3) Edgar Diddle (1) Joe Murphy (1)
Starters Line 1 Matty BellEnd7 Fort Worth, TX North Side H. S. 163204 Ben CregorGuard6 Springfield, KYSpringfield H. S. 5'11" 175205 Bill JamesTackle 8Fort Worth, TX North Side H. S. 169212 Sully MontgomeryTackle 9Fort Worth, TX North Side H. S. 6'3"210186 Terry SnoddyEnd 5Owensboro, KYOwensboro H. S. 5'10"173193 Howard Van AntwerpGuard 8Mt. Sterling, KYMt. Sterling H. S. 1732011 Red WeaverCenter 7Fort Worth, TXNorth Side H. S.5'10" 15821
Backfield 9Norris ArmstrongHalfback 7Fort Smith, ARFort Smith H. S.5'10" 15421 8Allen DavisHalfback 9Danville, KYDanville H. S. 14820 7Bo McMillinQuarterback9 Fort Worth, TX North Side H. S.5'9" 1752112 Red RobertsFullback9 Somerset, KYSomerset H. S. 6'2"19319
Subs Line ColemanTackle2 17 Clayton FordGuard1 Danville, KY 1902018 William GarrettCenter 1Columbus, OHWest H. S. 1552116 Gus KingEnd 3Oak Cliff, TX 1552013 McCullomEnd1 155 Edwin "Lefty" WhitnellEnd 2Fulton, KYFulton H. S. 16019
Backfield 15 Edgar DiddleHalfback 1 Gradyville, KYCastle Heights 16621 10Joe "Chick" MurphyHalfback1 Columbus, OHEast H. S. 13020
Scoring leaders
The following is a list of statistics and scores, largely dependent on newspaper summaries. Bo McMillin 167 103Red Roberts15 4 94Terry Snoddy9 54Allen Davis82 50Red Weaver143 49Norris Armstrong7 42Joe Murphy7 42Edwin Whitnel3 18Matty Bell2 12Hump Tanner2 12Edgar Diddle1 6Safety v. Transy 12Howard Van Antwerp 1 1 Total7157 1485
See also 1919 College Football All-Southern Team
References